The present invention relates to a sights for firearms, and, more particularly, to an illuminated sight assembly utilizing ambient light.
Several varieties of sights are employed in the sports of hunting and target shooting to improve aim under various shooting conditions. Traditional firearm sights have been formed from metal beads, bars or notches, or from a combination thereof, disposed at the front and rear ends of the barrel and these are aligned with the target. The most common sight assembly employs a rear sight with a V-notch and a front sight with a post which is aligned in the notch. Some sighting mechanisms include an adjustable rear sight, some use telescopes, and some use artificial lighting.
It is also known to employ a single fluorescent fiber in combination with a clear plastic resin, such as an acrylic, in a firearm sight. This type of sight is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,098,303 which issued to Plisk on Jul. 23, 1963. Similar types of sights also have been designed for archery applications, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,861 which issued to Lorocco on Aug. 22, 1995. It is also known to use artificial light sources in combination with fluorescent fibers to enable sighting under conditions of low light levels, such as dusk or dawn.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel sight assembly for firearms which is effective in low ambient light conditions to facilitate sight alignment.
It is also an object to provide such a sight assembly which utilizes light gathering or scintillating fibers in an illuminated sighting system operable by ambient light.
Another object is to provide such a sight assembly which can be fabricated relatively easily and which provides a rugged assembly.
Still another object is to provide such a sight assembly with low optical distortion.
Still another object is to provide a novel three dot assembly which enables horizontal and vertical adjustment to compensate for wind and distance.